Every four years, just prior to the mayor’s election, the Depart­ment of Local Govern­ment requires the setting council to establish the salary of the mayor for the next four-year term. This past term has been difficult, to say the least, considering the recession our country is going through.

My office has required numerous cutbacks and prioritizing of needs to continue the same services the city has become accustomed to without raising taxes or service fees. The mayor’s base salary is $32,000 and city council base salary is $1,200 per year. It was my recommendation that the Mayor’s salary remain the same for the next four years. I feel that to give ourselves a raise after making the cuts I had been required to do in the past four years would be hypocritical. A motion was made and passed unanimously not to increase either the mayor’s base salary or the city council’s base salary. At this time our city is in a sound financial state and I feel sure that as long as we continue the spending practices that we have in place we will triumph through this recession and come out better than before.

I would like to thank each of you for your support and confidence you have given me and ask for your prayers for the coming year to make our city all it can be.